In memory of
by Guardian of fantasy
Summary: Being rewritten as "in loving memory"
1. prologue

Title: In memory of

Summary: When Hikaru was ten his grandfather died. The only thing he left to him was a box full of old dusty kifu and an old and faded book written by one Fujiwara no Sai.

Author: Guardian of fantasy

Fandom: Hikaru no Go

Paring: none

Prologue

Ten year old Hikaru sighed yet again. He was in the shed of his grandfather, searching some valuable stuff, but all he found was junk. He wiped some dust from another scroll and coughed again.

Nope, nothing valuable, just junk.

"How am I ever going to get money?" he asked himself aloud. His parents had cut his allowance. Again. Because he failed a test. Again. He couldn't believe this was happening. Not now when the long awaited manga's of his favorites series were coming out this very month.

And HE wouldn't be able to buy them. He started to search the stuff again, in the now faded hope to find a treasure among the clutter his grandfather had collected through the years.

"Hikaru, are you up there?" came a voice from downstairs.

"Yeah, I'm here gramps." He yelled back loudly, inadvertently inhaling a cloud of dust and started to cough extremely loud.

"Hikaru, are you okay." Came the slightly worried voice of his grandfather. Before Hikaru could answer he heard the dull thud of the old man's footsteps against the wooden stairs.

"I'm okay" He yelled, but suddenly he heard a crash and a dull thud. He jumped up at the sudden and harsh sound.

"Grandpa?" he asked hesitantly. No answer, he yelled again, but when no answer came he went to the stairs and looked down. His grandfather was lying there in an awkward position. One of his legs bend at a strange angle and around his head was blood.

Hikaru did the only thing he could think of. He started to scream. It was an instinctive reaction to seeing someone he loved in that kind of position.

"Grandpa, are you okay? Please be okay." He kept on saying while screaming for help. Luckily one of the neighbors was currently home and heard the distraught boy making a fuss.

She knew Hikaru already for quite a while and knew that the energetic boy sometimes could get quite loud without really meaning to. But this was too much, even by his standards.

"What's going on?" the elderly woman from the house next door asked. But when she saw the body of her dear neighbor lying there on the floor she stopped dead in her tracks.

Then she saw Hikaru trying to shake his grandfather awake. She moved again.

She immediately took Hikaru's arm in her hand and pulled him away to where she knew the phone stood.

She held him close to her when she called the ambulance and quickly explained the situation. Luckily it did not take long for it to arrive. The medics came out immediately and declared the old men still breathing but in critical condition.

They took him to the hospital, leaving a tear stained Hikaru behind with the elderly woman to take care of him.

She tried her best to console him to tell everything was alright. It did not take long for the young once mother to arrive. She asked for them to call her when they got some news. After all, she liked the old male.

Late next night she got a phone call, but not the news she had hoped for. Heihachi Shindo died in the hospital not even an hour ago.

His grandfather was dead and he was responsible for it. That was all that Hikaru could think of since he heard the news three weeks ago.

The funeral was already long past gone, but Hikaru still couldn't deal with the loss. He had been still and reclusive the last few weeks. Barely talking or eating. Just whishing his grandfather was here with them.

He felt guilty, because if he hadn't been up in that shed, if he hadn't been coughing, than his grandfather would have never tried to come up, and he would have never slipped down again.

Or if he hadn't failed that test than he wouldn't had the need to search stuff to sell. He swore to himself that his studies would be taken more serious from now on.

His mother had tried to comfort him, telling him that it wasn't his fault, but he couldn't believe her. He only believed that if he hadn't been there that his grandfather would still life. And he knew he was right.

He couldn't stand going to school, knowing that nothing had changed with the passing of the family member which he felt closest too.

They all had given him their condolescences but their world hadn't stopped, not even for a split second. He couldn't deal with them laughing, while he was so miserable.

Their hearts were still whole. He couldn't stand to be happy like them. He didn't even go to his soccer training anymore. The one thing where he used to go to every change he got. He hated it now.

It showed how much he missed his grandfather. The first week after his grandfather was dead he kept on being sick with grief. His teacher had to sent him home a few times. But Hikaru couldn't care.

It meant nothing to him anymore. He concentrated more on his studies, at least his grades went up. His teachers do not believe that it will last very long. That he will get over his loss and revert to his old ways soon.

But after three weeks it still did not happen. He turned more quiet with each day. Not going out at all.

No, instead he spent all his time watching a few boxes. A recent addition in the ten year olds' room. He was curious about them, but he hadn't mustered up the courage to open them yet.

Often times he had found him interested in their contents, his mind would wander from his studies about the inside of the box. But still he had not opened them.

The only thing that he already unpacked were some old trophies his grandfather had. Apparently he wasn't quite bad in go and had won some prices. Hikaru had set them on his manga shelf. He felt that it was necessary to display his grandfathers achievements.

They had been once, the property of his grandfather. They were the only things that were passed down to him, together with some boxes. He had many staring matches with the boxes, contemplating if he would open them or not?

He wasn't sure if he should. His grandfather may have given them to him, but would he have given them to him if he knew what Hikaru had done? If he knew what Hikaru his role had been in his dead?

After all, he felt like a murderer. But he knew his grandfather adored him when he still was alive. But would he now? Maybe if he could do something for his grandfather. And maybe there was something in those boxes that could give him a clue about his grandfathers last whishes?

But today he decided to open them. To see what his grandfather felt that he must have. What had to be so valuable to him? What could help Hikaru finally find redemption for the crime he thought he had committed?

He cut through the ribbon that tied off the first box. And what he saw was an old and faded book. It's soft green cover staring at him. He took the book out of the box, ignoring the papers underneath it. He blew the dust away and looked at it.

He opened the old book, being careful not to rip the fragile old pages, and then he started to read, hoping that there was a clue in this ancient book.

_My name is Fujiwara no Sai and this is my story. The only story of my life that is ever written on paper. This is the story which I have to tell._

_My name is Fujiwara no Sai and in the Heian period I held a position in the capital as Go instructor to the emperor. It was such a happy time for me, I was able to play Go every day. _

_In addition to myself, there was one other Go instructor. One day he approached the emperor with a suggestion._

"_Sir." He said "I believe that you have need for only one Go instructor." _

_The emperor, in all his wisdom let us play a game to decide who shall keep his position._

Hikaru stared at the book. Somehow while reading this he got a bad feeling. He didn't know why, but he did. He continued to read the story.

_The game was dead even. Everyone's attention was drawn to the board; it was only by a mere chance that I saw it. A single white stone lay in my opponent's Go bowl. _

_To have one of your opponent's stones mixed in with your own is highly unusual, it __**has**__ been known to happen. _

_This of course has nothing to do with game play. A player need just to explain the situation and return the misplaced stone to his opponent's Go bowl, However that scoundrel…_

The next few words were crossed out very sloppily. Hikaru grinned at this. It seemed that Fujiwara no Sai had trouble to keep his temper. And knew quite some cuss words too. But then his smile saddened when he read on.

_He waited for an opportune moment and then he placed the stone in with his prisoners…_

Hikaru looked in those pages with shock. The guy cheated? In front of the emperor?

_And just when I was about to call him on his foul he rang the accusation. He told the whole court that he saw me add a black stone with my prisoners. _

_The only thing that I could do was deny it and accuse him. Just when it was about to get out of hand, the emperor called for silence. _

_He did not believe that someone would commit such an ugly offense in his presence and we had to play further. _

_Upset with the turn of events, I was unable to calm down myself._

_I lost that game. _

Hikaru had to swallow his anger at the injustice done to this stranger, but he read further. Curious about what happened to this Sai fellow. He could almost feel the raw wounds that this Go master had suffered from this one game.

_To add insult to injury, my reputation is irreparably tarnished…I was banished from the capital for my alleged treachery. _

_Now, dearest reader, I have no other skills of Go, and now, in my time I cannot practice it anymore. When you read this it means that I am dead. Thrown in the river by myself._

_But before I give my life away, I must make sure that my Go will live on._

_The further pages in this book are dedicated to learn a complete starter at Go, everything I know about it. I hope that one day someone will reach the Hand Of God with this as his guide._

_Stranger I thank you for letting my Go live on, forever._

Hikaru was shocked by the story. He couldn't believe that this guy killed himself over Go. He looked in the box again, wondering if it would be filled with other ancient book.

To his shock it wasn't. The only thing it was filled in was Kifu. Kifu of a person whose name was Hon'inbo shusaku. He looked at them, but couldn't understand them.

He knew nothing of Go. He opened the other boxes. More old Kifu that was ready to fall apart, all of Hon'inbo shusaku.

Maybe this was what his grandpa wanted of him. To learn Go and reach the Hand Of God.

Now that the ten year old thought about it, it made sense. His grandfather loved to help people, and somehow he wanted to help this Sai fellow. But couldn't.

And now it was Hikaru's turn to try and reach it. And for the first time in weeks Hikaru smiled. He had found a purpose again in his live. And he would make his grandfather proud of him.

The first time that he laid a stone on a go board, an old board that sat in one of the boxes, Hikaru was overcome with emotion. Since the first time that his grandfather was taken away he cried. And this was the first step to healing his broken spirit.

And in the past two years Hikaru studied Go, as if his life depended on it. And in a way it did. Because every moment he had free and didn't study for school or Go he felt guilty.

The guidelines in the book were very clear, and often times had small anecdotes about Sai's live. He learned that his teacher actually had a childish spirit and what he read often times made him laugh.

He studied the Kifu too. He noticed Sai's style in each and every one of them. This Shusaku Hon'inbo must have learned from Sai too. And as time went by Hikaru noticed how brilliant some of the moves were.

And Hikaru didn't notice when he started to play go, not for his grandfather, not for Sai, but for himself.

It took him the best of two years but Hikaru had finally finished the book of Sai. He sadly read the last words.

_Now, my student, you are prepared to fight on the board, the battles I can't anymore. Learn more and achieve what I couldn't. _

And it was then that Hikaru decided that he couldn't get better playing against himself. It was time to play against someone else. To see how strong he was, even though he didn't think he was quite that strong, but he had learned all that he could from his master.

The only things that he could study were the Kifu. But Hikaru felt as if they alone wouldn't be enough to achieve his goal, and he made his decision.

Today he would set his first step into the Go world.

TBC

Hello, I hope you all enjoyed the prologue. Next chapter we will see how far Hikaru has gotten in his path of Go.

I hope you all like the concept of the story. Next chapter will be a real killer (at least I think so, but then again, I wrote it myself…) I give you a small hint. Akira, game, Hikaru. Nothing more.

Well, until the next time.  
Sincerely Gof. (Guardian of fantasy)


	2. Chapter 1: fated meeting

Title: In memory of

Summary: When Hikaru was ten his grandfather died. The only thing he left to him was a box full of old dusty kifu and an old and faded book written by one Fujiwara no Sai.

Author: Guardian of fantasy

Fandom: Hikaru no Go

Okay, I am back. Here is the second chapter, I hope you all like it.

Oh, before I forget. Thank you all for the lovely reviews. (they were nice, I never expected to get so much of them).

I also had forgotten to put of my anonymous reviews the first day or so after I posted the chapter. This is now fixed. Just so you know.

Now, without further ado:

Chapter 1: fated game

Hikaru opened the present that his parents had gotten for him enthusiastically. It was the twentieth of September and his twelfth birthday was today.

The now twelve year old stared in amazement at the present which he had gotten. A brand new computer. Well, not brand new, second hand, but he was happy about it. It was a computer after all!

His parents weren't very wealthy, he realized that, but they had bought him a computer and he was ecstatic about it. He had whined about getting one for ages. Well, maybe not for that long, but he had whined quite hard about it, so that made up for the lack of time invested into the whining.

His parents bought this for him, not only because he really wanted one, but also because his grades had gotten much better than a few years back, and kept on being quite good.

Actually, Hikaru's whole personality changed two years ago. It was right after his grandfather had died. His mother knew that he had felt guilty about the death of his grandfather.

He had been mourning for weeks, not really doing anything. He never cried or went out with his friends in that time. He just started to study. Study and study. His mother thought it very weird, because Hikaru really was more of the energetic kind.

She had thought that, even though he would stay quite sad about his grandfather's dead, he would stop studying soon. He never really had the mind to concentrate for long periods of time.

But he kept on studying. Both his parents and teachers didn't believe that it would last long. Once his grieving was over he would probably revert to his old ways again.

After three weeks his grieving ended. It had taken much longer than anyone had anticipated. And when it ended, it didn't end like they expected.

He didn't start going to the arcade each day after school, nor did he went to the soccer (football, whichever you prefer) training. No, instead he started to study Go!!

Everyone that knew Hikaru were amazed at this development. Hikaru playing that old men's game? But he started to laugh again, so no one complained, because he was happy.

His grades didn't went down either. The most amazing were his grades for history. Those were wonderful. The teacher nearly went into cardiac attack when she saw the grades he got in his exams.

The only thing that his parents found regretful was Hikaru's loss of social contact. He had lost most of his contact with friends from school or in the street.

The reason was that he had become so obsessed with Go that he simply could not find the time for his friends and so they lost contact from each other.

Don't understand me wrongly. They were still friendly to each other. They sat together in class and borrowed each others' notes. But during lunch Hikaru was found sitting alone reading in a weird book.

His parents didn't know what to do to get Hikaru to socialize more, but for now it seemed better to not complain. He will find new friends soon enough. Once he enters high school that is.

But for now, they thought that his good grades deserved a reward and so they gave him the computer, which didn't take long to find itself installed upon Hikaru's desk.

that evening

Hikaru was reading another of Sai's brilliant lessons, soaking in the material in his mind. He had studied lot's of the kifu and had actually already the book multiple times.

But each time he read it again he understood it a bit better, he could look a bit deeper in the moves that Sai explained in painfully small detail.

He also loved the little anecdotes that Sai had put in. They had been really helpful in his history classes. If his teacher could give the same childish connotations in his lesson, the same passion as Sai those classes were easy.

For the rest it lightened the go lessons too. He got a feeling that if he would encounter Sai that it would seem that they have known each other for years. But that would never happen.

Too bad, Hikaru thought, it would be nice to meet such a master in go personally.

But yeah, Hikaru was rereading a certain passage once again when he came upon an idea. Might he add a brilliant idea. Maybe he could find someone online who wants to play go with him? Or at least maybe some more kifu.

Those of Shusaku were great, but he had seen the different style which his opponents had, and wanted to see more and more people play in their own unique hand.

That he hadn't thought of that before now, well, maybe it was partly to blame that he didn't have a computer yet, and partly because Sai was always talking about playing people in person.

He started his computer in anticipation. Brilliant really, playing against someone online. He wasn't too sure about how strong he himself was, and he didn't want to play someone in real live in fear of doing badly, and disappointing not only himself, but the memory of his grandfather and Sai.

But on the internet one could be anonymous. He knew that. His parents had even warned him not to use his real name on the net, so that no one knew who he was or where he lived, not that he really was planning about telling everyone where he lived or he was.

Brilliant really, he really couldn't get over it himself how smart he really is (sorry, but Hikaru always had seem a bit arrogant to me, certainly on twelve year as age). And if he did suck, than he wouldn't have to suffer from embarrassment. But he didn't think he would be bad. He HAD studied go for a whole two years after all.

And from someone as Sai. Who would be quite good, playing at the emperor's court and all.

Hikaru searched for somewhere to play go. And he immediately was redirected to a go server, which apparently was quite a busy one.

He tried to log in, but then he saw he had to register himself. Seeing that it was still free, he decided to do that.

"Name:?" which name would he take. His parents said no to take his own, or one that closely resembled his own, but he had never been to good at making up names.

"Of course, got one. Sai" S A I he typed.

"Level:?" what did they mean with that? He searched around the site for a bit and then found the explanation. Kyu were the lower levels and a beginner was mostly set around 25 kyu. How higher your kyu how better you are.

After one kyu it's one dan and then two, three etc. (or so I thought it was)

Hikaru decided to take the unsure for the sure and set his level at beginner and began with the lowest stats.

"Now finding someone who wasn't too high up in the stats." Hikaru muttered and scrolled down. He didn't want to risk playing someone really high and be shown that he really was that good.

Besides, it didn't seem likely that a one dan would accept a challenge from a beginner like him.

"Ah, someone who is not playing." And then he send his invitation to Akira, 16 kyu.

Touya household, Akira's room

Akira was bored. He had just finished his homework, and didn't really knew what to do with himself. So he decided to play go online for a bit.

He didn't really play a lot online, but a few weeks ago he had made an account, just for situations like this where he desired for a casual game. That's why had chosen to be beginner stats instead of a dan stat.

He hadn't logged on for long when he received an invitation from one Sai. Akira looked at the stats and winced when he saw the question mark next to his twenty five kyu.

This happened of course, when one choose to start from the beginning. Really bad opponents. Akira sighed and decided to just make it a teaching game.

They flipped for color and Akira got black.

"This guy really isn't lucky." He said out loud to himself and prepared himself for a fast and easy victory.

Then he put down the first stone.

When the response came almost immediately, he wasn't surprised, this beginners often searched online how to play the first few moves, and always did the same thing.

But the moves kept on matching his in speed and Akira was surprised when the moves seemed to be quite solid.

The battle started to heat up and Akira was drawn in it. The only thing that struck him as weird was the old joseki that his opponent seemed to favor.

But for now, he couldn't think of that. He had to match his moves. One by one. Each move changed the board, he could see that; Now he was winning, than Sai seemed to have a few points on him.

But then his excitement stopped short. That move was absolutely terrible. How could such a good player make such a grave mistake like that.

Akira sighed and continued to play. Sai was way behind him now. No way that he could make a comeback from this far.

The game went on and he had to say, except that bad move this guy was good. But then he made another move and Akira felt his heart beat a bit faster.

And then his screen went black.

Akira jumped up.

"NO." he screamed against his computer. Why had it gone out? Why now? Had he seen that last move correctly, could he have really made such a trap from that bad move?

Or was it just Akira's imagination? Had he seen incorrect? But he couldn't see now, now his computer was black.

He tried to turn on the light and noticed that it didn't went on either.

"Akira." His mother's voice sounded. "the fuse is blown when I tried to vacuum."

Hikaru household, Hikaru's room

Hikaru leaned back on his desk chair when the text box said that his opponent had died connection.

He sighed. The game was just getting good. But really good. He had finally been able to spring his trap on this Akira guy and the suddenly he was gone.

But still, if this guy had just been a sixteen kyu, than Hikaru probably would have been a fifteen or a fourteen. He was better he was sure, he never had been a point behind. (remember, Sai doesn't know about Komi, neither does Hikaru)

He had easily matched each move of his opponent, but sometimes it had been extremely close. He estimated that he was a bit better, but not that much.

But it still seemed low to him. Sixteen kyu, that can't be high, if it goes up until one, and then there are the dan ratings.

It's a good thing that he didn't try to play in real live, he could hear the people laughing already at his terrible go skills.

"This just means that I have to learn more." Hikaru said. Then he looked at the hour and winced.

"But not know." And he went to bed.

next day, Kaze school festival, Akari

Akari had asked Hikaru to come with her to the school festival, but just like the past two years he had refused to come.

She regretted the loss of contact from her childhood friend, but it wasn't as if she didn't try.

She had tried to invite Hikaru thousands of times to the arcade or the movies or festivals, but he had simple always said no. That he had better things to do.

Like playing go.

She, sometimes, still had trouble to wrap her mind around that fact. Hikaru plays go. A game which has the need for a player to sit still for hours on end in intense concentration.

The same Hikaru who had trouble staying still for five minutes. It was mind boggling, but still he had changed and Akari really tried to accept it.

It sometimes was difficult though. She remembered going to his house a month after his grandfather died. His room had been a mess, but instead of the usual manga that littered on the ground there were papers.

Some of them she recognized from school, but more of them were other papers. _Kifu_ Hikaru had said. She had been horrorstruck.

Hikaru had told her about his grandfather who left him those kifu and trophies. Saying that it was the old man's last wish and that he couldn't deny it.

Akari tried to dissuade Hikaru from playing, had really tried to pull him away from it. She didn't think that it was healthy to play a game simply because Hikaru thought he needed forgiveness from his grandfather.

But Hikaru each time refused to leave the confines of his room. He tried to convince her to learn it too. But she had refused at the time.

It was two years later now, and, she didn't really dared to tell Hikaru yet, she had started to go to a weekly go lesson. Already for a few months.

She knew that she wasn't brilliant, but this was how she tried to reconcile with the now estranged Hikaru. But she still thought she wasn't good enough to tell Hikaru that she knew some go too.

After all, Hikaru has already been studying it for two years, with an intensity that she just couldn't bring. Don't understand her wrongly. She actually liked the game.

She hadn't really expected that. At the first few lesson she didn't understand anything about what the teacher was telling. But the people there were nice, and they took her time explaining it all to her.

She was very glad about that fact. But still, she didn't dare to tell Hikaru just yet. Maybe after a few more months.

She wondered if he would have come if he knew that she also played go. But somehow she doubted that.

"A go stand? Or school has a Go club?" someone nearby asked a friend of his. Akari turned around.

Had she heard it correctly? A go club here? And indeed just a few stand further a boy with glasses sat. In front of him a goban.

"Hi." She said, walking to the boy. The boy looked up at the girl who had just talked to him.

"Hello, are you interested?" he said, gesturing with his hand to the goban in front of him. She nodded her head and smiled friendly at him.

"Yes please" she said, and he gave her a go problem. She didn't have too much difficulty with it and received her price.

He gave her another one, while she started a conversation with the boy.

"So, there is a go club in Kaze high school. I'd never heard of it before." She said friendly while pondering about the second, slightly harder live death problem.

"Yes, there is a go club, but currently I am the only member." The boy said, his cheeks reddening a bit in embarrassments.

The next problem was solved now. And another one was given.

"Can I join it next year she asked." The boy smiled in pleasure. It seemed that it was about time for his go club dream to become reality. At least in the next year.

TBC

Okays, it's explanation time.

First: Yes Hikaru is actually stronger than Akira. Why? Well, last time it took Hikaru a year or two to be on par with Akira, but Akira also had grown stronger in that time. AND, Hikaru didn't really start to think serious about go until later. His studies really became serious when he truly decided to become an insei.

Second: I couldn't leave Tsuitsui and his go club suffering, but it didn't seem right for Hikaru to be the one in the go club. So in comes Akari.

Third: yeah, the computer thingy was mean.

And last but not least: title of next chapter: Chapter 2: Taxi!

Hope you have enjoyed this chapter.

Sincerely Gof.


	3. Chapter 2: Taxi!

Title: In memory of

Summary: When Hikaru was ten his grandfather died. The only thing he left to him was a box full of old dusty kifu and an old and faded book written by one Fujiwara no Sai.

Author: Guardian of fantasy

Fandom: Hikaru no Go

Hey, it's me again with finally another chapter. I would like to answer on some reviews in a really general way, because I have the feeling that the questions will otherwise return.

First: Hikaru can't be that good without playing another person, can he? Well, I don't think it can happen in real life, but in this story I wanted for him that nobody knew really how well he is in Go, so I did this. I hope it doesn't really bother you. I didn't think that people would mind it so much.

Second: He should have read already about the Komi rules if he knows about the Kyu rankings. Hikaru being Hikaru means in my eyes he is being impatient and can't wait to try something out. SO thanks to the fateful ctrl f keys he just searches the word Kyu quickly without ever knowing about the komi.

Third: Hikaru lives in Japan, therefore Sai's book has to be in Kanji and very hard for Hikaru to read. To be honest I hadn't given that much thought. I am hoping to ignore that fact and I hope you to do, or at least don't give it much importance.

And last: some people have said (written) that the scenes with Akira didn't have enough action to them. I am sorry, I'll try to do better but since I don't play go it's hard to write really spunky pieces of it. I hope it doesn't put you off.

Now, without further ado:

Chapter 2: Taxi!

It has been a month since Hikaru had played his first game on the internet. He had played many since then, but never that Akira person. He had advanced in kyu and learned about the Komi, something that he hadn't bothered reading about since he was in a hurry to play and only needed to know what kyu was. He also noticed that some of his play didn't fit with this rule and slowly tried to modernize his play.

He noticed that he really wasn't a bad player and that knowledge gave him courage. It was now time, or so Hikaru decided, to try to play against people in real life.

The only problem was, Hikaru didn't know anyone who could play go against. He wondered how he could find some people. He could hardly ask people on the net. So far he had been ignoring the chat part of the site and never answered when people spoke to him. Even **if**it was in Japanese.

He was walking the main road to the his home when suddenly he got an idea, or rather an idea drove past in the form of a taxi.

"Of course," Hikaru thought to himself, "Taxi drivers always know where everything is. Maybe he knows if there is a place to play go somewhere near. I do hope it's not full of old people though." He winced at the last though, imaging himself playing an old geezer who had to cough every time he place a go stone down and for the rest had a wheezy distracting breath.

He decided to try it the next day, since than it was Sunday and that meant no school. He had to warn his mother too, that he would be gone for a while.

The next day arrived and Shindo was hailing a taxi on the main road. He had luck, one stopped as soon as he raised his hand. A lazy looking man with sunglasses was driving the thing.

"Where do you want to go?" he asked, eyeing the kid that slid into the backseat.

"Do you know a place where people play go?" Hikaru asked the guy. He really hoped he knew some place. The guy didn't look like someone who was interested in go or anything where you had to think for.

"Go, you say? Of course I do." The man said, surprising Hikaru with his enthusiasm. The taxi started driving and soon they were going at neck break speed past the center of the city. They stopped in front of something that was apparently a Go salon.

"Here you go," the man said, "'the heart of stone'" than he said the fee that Hikaru owned him. Hikaru paid and then got out of the car. He was surprised though, when the man chose to follow him instead of taking the offer from another potential client just a few meters ahead.

"You coming too, old man?" Hikaru asked, displaying his usual sense for tact.

"Old man, who are you calling old man, brat?." The taxi driver said, while taking Hikaru into a head hold. Hikaru struggled, yelling at the man that he is old and to let him go. This is how the entered the salon, of course drawing quite a lot of attention to themselves with their childish behavior. Not that they seemed to care, they were too busy insulting each other.

"So Kawai, not working today either?" the owner said calmly, as if he is used to such behavior, or at least coming from said person.

The taxi driver, now identified as Kawai, looked up when his name was mentioned, giving Hikaru the perfect opportunity to slip from his grasp.

"Hey, I already worked today. See this brat, he asked me to bring him to a Go salon, so I did." Kawai yelled in his defense, pointing at Hikaru who was smoothing out his unruly hair.

"Yeah, any excuse to be here and not to work is good for you." Said one of the customers, earning laughter from the rest. Kawai grumbled something and went to sit down at a table.

"So, anyone interested in a game?" he so casually and tactfully changed the subject.

"I want too." Hikaru said. Kawai looked at him and then started to laugh.

"You are years too young to even think about playing me." Kawai said, confident that someone who looked and talked like Hikaru wasn't really good in Go at all.

Hikaru turned red at this remark and decided that he would play his man with all his might and let him see that he, Hikaru, wasn't a bad Go player at all.

"Let's play, old man." He said and went to sit in the chair on the other side of the table. The colors were chosen and the game began.

The first thing that Kawai, who had black, noticed was the way Hikaru held his stones. Awkward, not like any Go player would hold them.

"Good god, this kid us just a beginner" he thought, preparing his mind for an easy game/slaughter.

The first few stones were a basic opening used in hundreds of games before this one and probably in hundreds of games after this one. The game advanced quickly, both players eager to play and prove the other one wrong.

"I never saw that hand before." Kawai thought to himself when Hikaru moved his stone in a not standard position. "have to pay attention, this brat is stronger that he looks, but that still doesn't mean he can defeat me!"

The next stone was clacked on the board with a thud. Kawai crossed his arms, looking at the board with a smug smile on his face. That move might just have sealed his victory. He looked at Hikaru, ready to gloat when he admitted defeat, but to his surprise Hikaru was still looking at the board, a serious, thoughtful expression on his face. Then he played his next move.

It rendered Kawai's move completely useless and won back a lot of territory for white. Kawai played again, trying to get some life back into his stones, but Hikaru beat every try of his down.

Kawai was maybe a bad employee, but a bad Go player he was not, thank you very much. He knew when someone was better than him and he knew when he had to surrender. He bowed down in front of Hikaru, while muttering

"I lost."

Hikaru gave him a cocky smile, the seriousness gone from his face, as if it was never there to begin with.

"Are you an insei?" was his next question. Hikaru looked at him, a question mark etched in his face.

"What's an insei?" he asked, and seeing the sour look on the face of the man in front of him he knew that he had to know that term.

"Are you kidding me, with this level of skill and not even know what an insei is?" Kawai said exasperated. "An insei is a person who is officially trying to get to the pro level's"

"What's a pro?" Kawai looked like he wanted to hit Hikaru over the head. He probably would have had there not been a table in between them.

"A pro," Kawai forced out between gritted teeth, "is someone who makes a living while playing Go."

"You can make money by playing Go?" Hikaru wondered out loud. This time the table in between them didn't stop Kawai and Hikaru was held into a head hold the second time today by the same man.

"Kawai, settle down" the owner said. "Let's explain to kid calmly. It's not often that young talent wanders in. Maybe it's better to explain to him these things rather than strangle him to death because of his ignorance." The owner always had been a kind and understanding man.

The explaining began, going from insei to pro exams, to title matches and so on. Hikaru was intrigued by this world of Go, something he never expected to have existed and wanted to know more, to learn more about this.

When Kawai however suggested the he must try out for insei, he however just didn't feel ready. He didn't think that he was good enough to compete with people who could life on the money they deserved with Go.

He promised, however, that he would come back next week, the owner had promised to help him study and understand Go even better and he couldn't wait. Kawai had said he'd help too, maybe that he decided to join the insei later.

"And when you turn pro, don't remember to say that it's all thanks to Kawai." Kawai told Hikaru when he was about to leave.

"Thanks to you. Hey, I beat you in that game." Hikaru said back.

"Yeah, but I brought you here." Kawai retorted. Before the fight could escalate the owner intervened and said that it was getting late. Telling Hikaru that his parents must get worried when he came home to late.

Hikaru nodded and left. Now knowing where he was he quickly took the bus to his home. He was glad that he could get there by public transport, paying a taxi each week would get expansive really quick. But still, playing against other people was exhilarating. He couldn't wait until he learned to hold a stone like Kawai did.

"Had a nice day?" Hikaru's mother asked when he came home, just in time for dinner, lucky him.

"It was great mom, I'm going again next Sunday." He said while scooping some rice in his plate. Yes he was going again next Sunday, and the Sunday after that, and the Sunday after that….

TBC

Hope you have enjoyed this chapter.

Sincerely Gof.

P.S.: I hope to update more from now on, sorry for the extremely long and annoying update time.


	4. Chapter 3: advice

Title: In memory of

Summary: When Hikaru was ten his grandfather died. The only thing he left to him was a box full of old dusty kifu and an old and faded book written by one Fujiwara no Sai.

Author: Guardian of fantasy

Fandom: Hikaru no Go

Chapter 3: advice

Hikaru had been going to the Go salon every Sunday for a few months now. He has been telling his mother that he had joined a Go club, not really daring to tell her that he was actually going to the place he was going to.

But he was learning and learning quick at that. Playing multiple opponents at the same time and increasing their handicap all the time as Hikaru got better and better. His opponents weren't bad either, they improved too, but it just seemed that Hikaru was so much faster with improvement than them.

The only thing he regretted that in between school, school work and the Go salon was that his time in the net was cut short, sometimes he didn't even have time to play a game! His ranking didn't go up as fast as it had in the beginning, but Hikaru didn't really care.

Today was a Sunday, this meaning that Hikaru was found at 'the heart of stone' playing Kawai a game which was called Jigo. He had to try to get as much points as Kawai, who was using having a four stone handicap, without making it seem like he was trying to achieve that goal. The owner said that if he could do it with Kawai that he could start trying with multiple games.

Kawai for his part helped Hikaru in his training too. He was the strongest player in the whole salon, and for some reason he seemed always there when Hikaru was, still yelling at him all the time, and saying that Hikaru should never forget that he wouldn't have got this for without him and that he doesn't have to forget to thank him, Kawai, when he was pro.

Hikaru for his part said that he did all the work on his own and that Kawai should try and go work before he got fired. But in secret both of them respected each other and liked their games, even though it was more a teaching game than a real full out battle.

"Ah, beat you again, old man, or rather, neither of us won." Hikaru taunted the man, getting the usual response from Kawai. A head hold and a threat of not calling Kawai an old man again. When all the ruckus had settled down, the owner suggested for Hikaru to start a Jigo game with two opponents. For which a dozen candidates immediately appeared.

"But this will be much harder," the owner instructed, after a second opponent was chosen "you have to count twice as much and they still may not see that you are trying to achieve Jigo."

Hikaru nodded, showing that he understood these words and that he took them to heart. It was game time now and the serioused faced Hikaru returned. Even though this games weren't serious at all, Hikaru played with all his might and with his intensity he draw out his opponent to play their all to defeat him.

Never have regret if you have played a game to the best of your ability and lost. That's what Hikaru had once said when they asked why he always played so serious. This had convinced the owner that one day this kid would become pro. And of course, if that meant that he would keep on coming here, think of the customers that will follow Shindo-pro here.

Eventually Hikaru managed to play four games to Jigo, when he tried to play five he had miscounted one, but he was only two points off. Still, it amazed the other customers how good this kid was. He had only recently gotten used to playing multiple games, started Jigo today and he already could play four games of Jigo just like that.

"Hey, Hikaru, before you leave, I want to give you this." The owner said handing him over a flyer. Hikaru accepted it and looked at it.

"Hmm, a Go tournament for kids." He said frowning. "Owner, I said that I don't think I'm ready to play in stuff like this yet. You know, I once played a sixteen Kyu and he was seriously good, not as good as me of course, but the difference was small." Hikaru said.

"No, I don't want you to play, but it might do you some good to check it out, see other people around your age play. Maybe you'll discover that you are quite good at this." The owner said with a smile. "and they are strong players, many of them future insei."

"I'll see if I check it out," Hikaru said, looking at the date. "If I'm not here, that means I'm over there. Now I'll have to go, bye." He said, grabbing his backpack and running to his bus stop, where he saw his bus leaving. Groaning he looked at his watch and saw that he wouldn't have time to play another game on the internet again. Luckily he could always play after school.

Akira sighed. Another Sunday spend online and again no sign of that Sai. He wanted to know if that person had really played that one move or not, but whenever he was online, Sai wasn't. He could have cursed his bad luck. He kept on playing the game over and over again, but without that move it was a good game, about his level.

But there was that one bad move, making his level drop and if he truly had seen correctly, that move that turned the tables than maybe he had found a rival? But if that move was just a figment of his imagination than that person could not be a rival to him.

He had talked about the game with his father, who didn't really think highly of internet go, saying that two people must face each other in real life in order for their true strength to appear. His advice was for Akira to be patient. If there was a rival for him somewhere that the God of Go would make sure that they met.

Akira had chewed his lips thoughtfully at this response. He didn't want to wait, but he felt that he couldn't find that person anymore, that one game had been the bane of his existence since he had played it. Always on his mind, but never really sure if it really happened. He wanted to play that person again! Just to make sure, to find closure or a rival.

He sighed, he had searched the rankings on the net, Sai only had recently reached 10 kyu, even Akira was higher up in the rankings, just reaching the 1 dan. Maybe he had just came up with that move himself. It probably was just that. His dream of having a rival had been shattered on more than one occasion already. Maybe he only could find people who matched him in strength who were already pro.

Somehow Akira didn't feel as if he were ready to join their ranks just yet. He knew that he was strong enough, but there was something holding him back. An internal doubt that maybe there was someone there to compliment him. Someone whom he could chase after. But he didn't want to be disappointed.

He sighed again and looked at the site again, ignoring all the game requests send his way. Still not Sai. He made his decision. His hand hovered above his keyboard, holding still for a moment. Then he entered the delete button.

If this person was strong enough that he would meet him one day, face to face, in the pro ranks, and it was there that it would be decided if his dream of a rival to reach the hand of god with was just a dream or reality! He would listen to his father and be patient. He too, just like his father, wanted to play his opponent, hopefully rival, in a face to face game.

Sunday came again after a tiring week spend at school and Hikaru was looking at the flyer that was given to him by the owner.

"What do you have in your hands, Hikaru?" his mother asked him. Hikaru looked up at his mother. He hadn't noticed that she had entered the kitchen. He must have really been out of it.

"It's a flyer of the children go tournament." Hikaru said. "The teacher of the Go club gave it to me. Said it would be good for me to go and take a look." Hikaru said in between bites of breakfast.

"Don't you have a Go club today?" she asked, looking at the date of the event. She really thought it was good for Hikaru to go out to a club and socializing with people again. She was glad that he wasn't holed up in his room for hours on an end, not speaking to anyone. He used to be so social before.

"Nah, the teacher excused me for going to the event. He was the one who suggested it." Hikaru said, easily lying to his mother.

After Breakfast Hikaru left for town going to the place of the tournament. It would be awesome to see kids his age playing in it. Maybe he would recognize some of their styles from the people he played on the net. That would be cool. He suspected that the most people he played against on the net weren't that old. He had trouble imagining old people playing on the net.

When he arrived at the place where the tournament was held he was amazed by the intensity. There were so many kids there, some even younger than he was! And the tension that filled the air, he felt like he could touch it. Never had he been in a place where so many players were playing so seriously.

He looked at the silent supporters and was surprised at the tension on their faces. "They must be the parents" Hikaru thought. He wondered how Sai must have felt when seeing this. How the passion of Go has survived time, over a thousand years and still people were playing it with such passion.

Hikaru walked around a bit looking at the different games which were unfolding and glanced down at one just when a boy played a wrong move, one that could have saved his stones if it just had been a place higher.

"Too bad, you had to play one higher" he said, out loud before he could stop himself. The moment he said it, he realized that it was a stupid thing to do, to interrupt two players when playing a game. Not soon after several people reconfirmed that idea. Really, he was too used seeing people play in the salon where he could freely comment on the people's games.

A man grabbed his arm angrily.

"You there," he yelled while pulling Hikaru a bit on the side, "What's wrong with you? You're not allowed to give advice in the middle of a tournament match!" Hikaru started to stutter out an apology when someone official looking man came to calm down the man who was holding Hikaru's arm.

"Ogata Sensei, I'll deal with this boy in the other room." The man said to the official looking one. Hikaru was dragged away from the game boards, but the man, Ogata, wanted to know what happened and thusly asked the two children involved about the incident. The kid who had played the mistake was the one to answer.

"I player here and the kid said 'too bad, you had to play one higher.'" The boy explained while pointing at the stone in question. Ogata saw the difficult shape of the problem, thinking that even a pro might not see this one right away. He started to ask the kid if he understood his mistake, when a tournament overseer came to say that the kids had to replay.

"Is the boy a competitor here?" Ogata asked, referring to Hikaru. The overseer hadn't got the time to answer because an angry woman answered in his stead.

"No he isn't," she said upset, "He doesn't even belong here! He didn't have a name tag! I saw him he just came in the room a few minutes ago. He was looking around and wandered this way, then he stopped right by my son's table." She pointed out the route Hikaru had followed while she continued her story. "He glanced down at the board and that's when he disrupted the game!" she half yelled, clenching her fist angrily.

"Did I hear you correctly?" Ogata asked in surprise, "He glanced down?" he felt some tension in his chest. A child who could solve such a hard problem in such a short time. The only boy he knew that could do that would be Akira!

All the while Hikaru was profusely excusing himself for his own stupidity. The serious looking man told him off, and said that the tournament is very important for the players involved in it. Hikaru should not take this matter lightly. Luckily for him they let him leave from the exit. Who knows what will happen if the angry mother got her hand upon him.

The man didn't really think the kid would be back, he acted as if this was the first time that he had been in a room where there was a tournament held. Besides his whole character, from the yellow bangs in his hair, to the casual sport clothes described him as _not _a Go player.

Hikaru for his part was happy to get away as soon as he could. He thought that it probably would have been better that he hadn't come. It was stupid of him to disrupt the boys game, and he felt guilty about it. He would hate it if anyone did it to him, rudely interrupting a game that was important to him.

In his ponderings Hikaru wasn't paying attention to where he was going and he bumped into someone. The man looked scary, his eyes so full of intensity. The traditional clothing did nothing to ease out the strict looking lines that were etched in his face. But all he said was "careful now." And then he just walked on.

There was something about this man though, that draw Hikaru in, he didn't know what, hell, he didn't even know the man. But there was something about him.

"Better not think about it, if I make it home quick I can play some games on the net before dinner." He said to himself and soon forgot that the incident ever happened.

The strict looking man, whom Hikaru had bumped into, entered the room which Hikaru had just vacated.

"Toya Meijn," one of the man said. "take a look at this." On a goban, the game on which Hikaru had commented on was displayed. The explained what happened to the Meijn

"I see, he immediately recognized the key point. I didn't know there were other children than my son Akira who could do this." Ogata complained to him that they hadn't got the kids name.

"Don't worry, if the kid really is this strong, his presence will be made known in the pro world soon." The Meijn said, slapping down a stone in the key point of the game, to dramatize his words.

TBC

Hope you have enjoyed this chapter.

Sincerely Gof.


	5. Chapter 4: go club

Title: In memory of

Summary: When Hikaru was ten his grandfather died. The only thing he left to him was a box full of old dusty kifu and an old and faded book written by one Fujiwara no Sai.

Author: Guardian of fantasy

Fandom: Hikaru no Go

Paring: none

Chapter 4: Go club

April came and so did the new school year. Akari had kept her promise to Tsutsui and joined in the Go club, which now counted exactly 2 members. They couldn't join a tournament yet, a dream from Tsutsui yet to be achieved, but they were recruiting.

In fact Akari was currently hanging up posters from the Go club when Hikaru passed her. Akari was busy hanging up the posters and didn't notice when Hikaru went to stand behind her.

"Go club?" he asked, making her jump in surprise. She turned around quickly and looked at Hikaru like a deer caught in the headlights.

"Hi, Hikaru," she stuttered. He looked at her slightly bemused at her reaction. When she didn't answer his initial question he asked her again. This time she answered him.

"I recently joined them." She said, her fist clenched in defiance, hoping Hikaru wouldn't laugh with her. Hikaru looked in surprise.

"Since when do you play go?" he asked her, curious. He knew that Akari hadn't played go before, but since two year ago he just didn't hang out with her as much. He regretted it for a moment, but quickly shook it off. It wasn't as if they weren't friends anymore, and they saw each other plenty.

"I started a few months ago," she confessed shyly "I started playing in a go class and the people have been nice." Hikaru nodded.

"So, are there many people in the go club? I didn't even know that there was one." Hikaru said when Akari started to hang another poster on the wall.

"Only me, Tsutsui and you." She said happily hanging another poster up.

"oh, that's nice…" Hikaru started to say, but then he progressed exactly just what his childhood friend had said. "WHAT????" he yelled, making several passing students look at them.

"Come on Hikaru, you haven't joined any other club, and I know you play go. It's going to be fun. I promise you." She grabbed his arm and looked at him with begging puppy eyes. "Besides, if we find another member we can join tournaments, oh please Hikaru join us."

She kept on begging him and Hikaru found no other way out then to give in to her pleas. She squealed in happiness when he did and told him about all the fun that they would have. She wondered out loud who the strongest member would be, because Tsutsui, the founder, had been playing go for longer than Hikaru had.

Hikaru for his part thought it to be interesting to try playing against someone his own age. Wondering how different they would play than the old geezers from the heart of stone. The tournaments, well, they were a member short, maybe it was for the best. He didn't really feel enthusiastic about showing his skills in a hall full of people.

He was also glad that he had joined because it made Akari happy. She used to be one of his best friends and he had gotten estranged from her. Maybe they could become as close as they used to be.

So it was at the end of the day that Hikaru and Akari made their way to the science room, which apparently was the room they got to use for the go club. Akari was giddy. She hadn't told Tsutsui about their newest addition yet, and wanted to know how he would react. Maybe they could even find a few other members.

They arrived when Tsutsui was setting up the old Goban which he had gotten from the science teacher. He stood up to greet Akari, but was surprised that she wasn't alone. A boy with strange bangs, who clearly was supposed to be with Akari.

"Hi," he said, "who is this." He asked. The kid looked a bit like a jock and he hoped that he hadn't conned Akari in bringing him here just to cause trouble to his small club.

"This is Hikaru, he is been playing go for a few years and he wants to join the club." She explained while Hikaru was looking at the goban, which was missing a leg. Tsutsui face lighted up. Another member, a dream come true.

"Great," he said, "now we can play against more persons. If we find another person we can even play in a tournament Hikaru." He said, taking Hikaru's hands in his, stars shining in his eyes. Hikaru pulled back a bit, his eye twitching a bit at Tsutsui's enthusiasm.

Akari was smiling. Tsutsui had already pulled back and was asking Hikaru for a game. Hikaru couldn't really refuse this offer and so they did nigiri.

The game began with Tsutsui taking out his go book. Hikaru blinked his eyes at this strange phenomena and looked pointedly at Akari who just shrugged. She had already seen this many times and had gotten used to it already.

They played the game and all three were surprised by how easily Hikaru was winning. He cut of every attack from the black side before it even became a threat and skillfully gained territory with his white stones. Hikaru thought that someone who was this passionate about go would be better, but to tell the truth, Kawai was a stronger player.

Tsutsui had to resign before the game reached the halfway point. He was happy that Hikaru had come and it showed on his face, freaking Hikaru out a little. Really, no one should be happy at being defeated this easy.

"This is great." Tsutsui said. "You can play teaching games with us, and if we find another guy we can enter the tournament. We would finally be able to join it." Hikaru balked at this.

"I never agreed to joining a tournament. I'm only here because of Akari, but I don't want to join a tournament." Hikaru said. He was happy playing anonymous on the net and at the "heart of stone". He hadn't expected the crestfallen face of Tsutsui.

"But if I don't join the tournament now, I'll never have a change of beating Kaio." He said, almost crying.

"Hikaru." Akari hissed at him, "It's his dream to enter the tournament. Couldn't you just for once help him out." She asked him quietly. He looked down at the game they played and then at Tsutsui and Akari.

"Okay," he sighed, "I'll join you in the tournament if we find another member."

"Really?" said Tsutsui, a hopeful face appearing. Hikaru nodded. "If he wants to play, we have a third member." He started muttering. Hikaru sweat-dropped. He already knew someone? Why wasn't that person in the go club?

"Who?" he asked. Tsutsui looked a bit embarrassed. "I don't know if he wants to, he is the captain of the shogi team." He said.

"What do you mean, captain of the shogi team. We have to play go you know." Akari said, never before having heard that Tsutsui knew anyone else in this school that could be play go well enough to join in the tournament.

"He used to play go, but he stopped. But he made a promise to me a while ago, that if I found another person to join me in the tournament that he would join us." He said.

Hikaru nodded. That's why he was so desperate for Hikaru to join. He was happy to help than, he was also happy that he wouldn't be the worst person on the team, even though he felt slightly guilty at thinking that thought.

"How about we discuss the game?" Hikaru asked, hoping that he could help him get better. Tsutsui immediately agreed, recognizing the skill of Hikaru's play as much better than his.

Sunday came and Hikaru was once again found at the "heart of stone". They had decided for him just to give teaching games. It would benefit both him and the clientele. Hikaru had to try to play challenging moves for his opponent that shouldn't be above their level, improving the way he looks into the game and his thinking.

He was telling them that he was kind of forced in joining the go club if his school. Kawai bristled at that, clearly disapproving Hikaru wasting his talents in a school go club.

"You'd better join the insei." He said. "I heard that Akira Touya has finally made up his mind and decided to join." A few other customers muttered in consent to Kawai's observation and to his comment about Touya.

"Akira Touya?" he asked. His ignorance about the go pro world showing. Again. Kawai sighed. At this point he wasn't surprised anymore at Hikaru's ignorance. Really it was a shame of the go talent.

"He's the son of the Mejin. He is said to be a prodigy." Kawai explained shortly, "maybe you could rival him." He said too. Some of the other customers snorted in disbelief, but the look that Kawai gave him, that serious intense look that so rarely appeared on his face showed that Kawai really believed that Hikaru could rival the prodigy.

Hikaru doubted. He knew he wasn't a bad player. It would be an insult to all the people that he had beaten to say that he was, but to just defeat someone that's supposed to be a go prodigy. He really thought that Kawai was overrating him.

"Anyway, I got the tournament in a few weeks." He said, trying to subtly changing the subject. The customers were encouraging Hikaru to keep on practicing with them, maybe to come Saturday afternoon too, just to get more practice in. Where they could profit from as much as Hikaru.

Touya Akari was seated at the back if his class. He sighed. After long contemplation he had decided to step in the world of pro's, hoping that he could find the challenge he was waiting on there. Convinced that the rivals he craved for were the higher dans, much like his father.

It had taken him a lot of time to figure out if that was the path that he would take, but maybe it was for the best. To look forward and to conquer the go world.

And otherwise it served as an excuse for not joining the go club of his school. The principal had been pushing him to enter the club and Akira kept on refusing, but the principal just kept asking to check the club out.

At least this time he had an excuse, because if you joined the insei or was writing in the list of participants of the pro exam you couldn't join in tournaments. And that was the old man's meaning all along. Make Akira join the tournament, to make the Kaio school team even more undefeatable.

The principal had sighed in defeat when Akira had told him that he had officially joined the list of participants for the pro exams, but still made him promise that if he could find time to come and check the tournament. Akira had said yes, just to get the man off his back.

The next go club meeting had arrived, and since Tsutsui wasn't there yet Akari and Hikaru had already started a game, with Hikaru explaining Akari on the way why a move that she made was a good or a bad move. It was mid game when Tsutsui showed up, with behind him a tall kid, with messy brown hair and a fan.

"So where is this kid?" he asked loudly, opening one of his eyes to survey the room.

"Hikaru is there, Kaga." Tsutsui pointed at Hikaru with a look that said that he was stating the obvious. Kaga approached the game that Hikaru was playing with Akari.

"Teaching game." He stated. Hikaru nodded. "Well, after this we play. I made a promise to Tsutsui that I would join his stupid go club for one tournament if he could find someone that's stronger than me." He said smugly, clearly not expecting Hikaru to rise up to the challenge.

Hikaru for his part was irked by this guy. Okay, he didn't know how strong Kaga was, but to be put aside like he was some trash bothered him.

"You wait, I'll kick your ass." He screamed, standing up and pointing angrily at Kaga. Kaga just smirked at him. Hikaru ended the teaching game quickly and the board was prepared for the battle.

Hikaru had gotten black and he forcefully played the first move. The game ensued, and the battle was fierce but surprisingly one sided. Kaga was surprised. He was playing a solid game himself, but it was like throwing go stones at a wall; no matter how hard he throws them they'll never get through.

He was forced to resign just before yose. He was a good enough player to see that no matter how much the other one screwed up the end game he would still lose.

"Are you Touya in disguise." He asked when he was till bowed down. Hikaru looked startled, that was already twice in one week that he was compared to said go prodigy. Was he really that good?

"Why do you compare me with Touya, there is no way I can be on the same level as someone who is about to take the go test." Kaga snorted.

"I have played Touya once before, years ago. You are better than he was then." Kaga said. "besides you have beaten me, and I **AM** good." He said. It was clearly not being arrogant. Kaga was good.

"If we win the tournament, you are going to do the insei exam." Kaga said, pointing his fan at Hikaru, surprising the rest of the club members.

"And if I notice that you play bad on purpose I'll throw you in the pool, and then you will do the insei exam." He said. Hikaru was gaping like a fish.

"I won't do the insei exam ." He screamed back. "Okay," Kaga answered, relieving Hikaru, but it was short-lived. "you won't join this years, than you will join next years. Applications are over anyway. The next ones are after the summer break."

Hikaru tried to protest, but as much as he protested, he was ignored, even by his childhood friend Akari, who he had started to blame, because she had brought him in this mess in the first place.

Every week they practiced for the tournament, and as promised Kaga showed up, postponing his duties from the shogi club until after the tournament. Hikaru still looking unhappily, but he was secretly glad to have Kaga there. He was the only player he knew personally that was better than Kawai.

Kaga also had stolen Tsutsui's go book, making him play without it. Saying that otherwise he will be a good target for other players and that he wouldn't concentrate enough on the game. After some protest on Tsutsui's side he agreed that he would give back the book AFTER the tournament.

When Hikaru went to his usual Sunday hangout, and when he had told about Kaga and his promise to force Hikaru to take the insei exam next year to the members of the "heart of stone", they reacted different than Hikaru had expected.

He knew that they had wanted him to take the exam, but he also thought that they would be appalled in his place to have the choice torn away from him.

He never expected the promise of a party when he would have succeeded at the insei exam. The threats that he shouldn't forget that Kawai was the one to thank for his success was the one thing he HAD expected.

TBC

Hope you all like this chapter.  
I greatly appreciate you all sending reviews, even though I am currently only answering some of them with questions and certain statements that I feel need more explaining.

I hope this doesn't put you off, the reviews are nice^^.

Sincerely GoF.


	6. Authors note concerning rewrite!

Dear readers

As you can see in the summary this story is being rewritten as "in loving memory" it deals with the same basic plotline but it differs from this a bit.

I will start posting my chapters, starting from today on, one every two weeks.

I will keep these chapters on, but I will not finish this version of the story.

Thanks for your understanding.

Sincerely GoF.


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